Incinerator



June 20, 1967 J. K. MALLARD INCINERATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 8, 1965 INVENTOR JOHN K. MALLARD W ATTORNEY J. K MALLAR INCINERAT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 VENTOR JOHN K. MALL/ARI) V V TTORNEi/ June 20, 1957 J. K. MALLARD INCINERATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Sept FIG. 5

BY 42 26 afoul 'Q- /y/vv O ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,326,150 INCINERATOR John K. Mallard, Rte. 3, Box 238, Manassas, Va. 22110 Filed Sept. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 485,711 Claims. (Cl. 110-18) This invention relates to the collection and disposal of conventional household waste material and to apparatus and equipment by which such material is reduced in size and volume and subsequently disposed of in a minimum of time and with minimum effort.

The invention relates particularly to an incinerator system for burning waste material and reducing the same to ash and the subsequent disposal of the ash or residue, as well as to apparatus and equipment for processing the material, injecting the material into the incinerator and removing the ash and residue in a continuous process.

Heretofore, incinerators of various kinds have been provided for reducing waste material to ash by burning; however, these prior devices have been expensive to construct and maintain and it has been necessary to select certain materials for burning and to remove material such as metal cans and other unburnable objects. Periodically the incinerator had to be shut down so that unburned materials and ash or other residue could be removed. Also, certain municipalities have followed the layering process for disposal of waste material. This process has involved digging a trench and placing alternate layers of waste material and dirt therein until the trench is completely filled and thereafter bacterial action would reduce the material over a long period of time.

It is an object of the invention to provide a relatively simple inexpensive incinerator which can be constructed in a minimum of time and with minimum effort and such incinerator will burn the waste material and reduce the same to ash and will discharge the ash therefrom in a continuous operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a waste disposal system having means for receiving waste material from a collection vehicle, separating such material to encourage combustion, discharging such material into an incinerator, providing air to support combustion therein and removing the ash or residue in a continuous process.

A further object of the invention is to provide an incinerator having means for converting water to steam as a by-product of combustion of waste material.

A further object of the invention is to provide an incinerator having a grate with at least portions thereof being movable to discharge unburned residue and with such grate having means for introducing air or oxygen to support combustion within the incinerator.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the incinerator system by which waste material is reduced in size and volume;

FIG. 2, an enlarged section of the delivery building along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4, an enlarged fragmentary vertical section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5, a fragmentary longitudinal section on the line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6, a fragmentary longitudinal section on the line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7, a fragmentary section on the line 77 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8, a section on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

Briefly stated the present invention is an incinerator Patented June 20, 1967 system including a delivery structure which receives waste material from a collection vehicle and separates such material which has been compacted within the collection vehicle, and thereafter such material is deposited within a chute and subsequently introduced into an incinerator through a lock chamber for burning or otherwise reducing the waste material to ash and unburned residue in a continuous process, and thereafter removing such ash and unburned residue from the incinerator and discharging the same to a truck or other vehicle for subsequent disposal, as by burying or the like.

With continued reference to the drawings, the incinerator system of the present invention includes a delivery building 10 for receiving waste material, transfer apparatus 11 for transferring the material from the delivery building, and an incinerator 12. The delivery building 10 may include side walls 13 and a roof 14 and such building may have an endless conveyor 15 extending through the building and projecting outwardly from each end thereof. The endless conveyor 15 may be mounted on rollers 16 and 17 with at least one of such rollers being driven in any desired manner as by a motor and gearing 18. Within the building 10 an overhead crane 19 may be provided mounted on a track 20 which projects outwardly from one end of the building and is supported by trusses or other support means 21. The overhead crane 19 preferably has a hook 22 or other grappling means for engaging and removing relatively large nonburnable material, such as metal cabinets, refrigerators, washing machines or the like, which are placed on the conveyor 15 by a collection truck or vehicle 23 along with other waste material 24. Normally when the waste material is collected the collection vehicle 23 is provided with means (not shown) for compacting the material to accommodate the largest amount of material in the least amount of space. When the material is discharged from the collection vehicle 23 onto the conveyor 15 such material is moved through the delivery building 10 and in passing therethrough the vibrations of the conveyor will cause separation of the waste material to encourage the subsequent burning thereof. As a safety precaution the building 10 may have a conventional sprinkler system (not shown) for extinguishing accidental fires.

When the material is discharged from the conveyor 15 it will fall by gravity into a chute 25 having an open portion 26 at one end and a closed sleeve-like portion 27 at the opposite end forming a lock chambenIn order to remove the material from the chute 25 a piston 28 is located within the chute and is normally disposed at one end thereof and adapted to be operated in any desired manner, as by a fluid cylinder 29. When the chute 25 has been substantially filled with waste material, the conveyor 15 is stopped and the cylinder 29 is actuated to cause the piston 28 to engage such waste material and force the material into the closed portion 27 and subsequently into the incinerator 12. In order to prevent flame and heat or other gases from passing into or through the lock chamber 27 of the chute a trapdoor 30 is provided, either as an integral part of the incinerator or as an independent door which can be selectively operated in timed relation to the movement of the piston 28.

The incinerator 12 includes a base 33 having an upwardly extending housing or casing 34 mounted thereon and the interior of such housing preferably is lined with a heat-resistant material such as fire brick 35. Preferably the incinerator 12 is provided with an inclined top 36 with a flattened portion 37 having 'a smokestack 38 mounted thereon for dissipating smoke, heat and unburned products of combustion into the atmosphere. If desired the smokestack may have conventional means 39 for washing or scrubbing the smoke and removing solid particles of unburned material therefrom and for reducing unpleasant odors prior to the discharge into the atmosphere.

The material which is discharged from the chute 25 will fall by gravity onto a grate 40 which may include a series of fixed laterally extending pipes 41 connected to an air header 42 at one or both ends and such air header is provided with air under pressure from a blower 43 operated by an electric motor 44 or other source of power. The pipes 41 generally are parallel with each other and are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the pipes. The pipes 41 may be of any desired size and spacing, however, pipes of 4" in diameter and spaced 6" apart have been found satisfactory. The spacing of 6" permits most metal cans which have not melted to pass therebetween when desired. Each of the pipes is provided with a series of openings or holes 45 along the bottom thereof and such openings are adapted to discharge air under pressure from the header into the incinerator to support combustion.

In order to prevent the material 24 from falling between the pipes 41, a second series of pipes 46 is provided mounted on a movable framework 47 The framework includes at least one air header 48 at one side of the incinerator and such air header is mounted on a slidable plate 49 carried within tracks 50. If a single air header is used, one end of each of the pipes 46 is connected to the air header 48 and the other end of each pipe is connected directly to the slidable plate 49. Preferably one end of the framework 47 is provided with a lug 51 connected to a piston rod 53 carried by a fluid cylinder 54 located exteriorly of the housing 34, such piston rod extending through an opening 55 in the housing.

Air is supplied to the header 48 from a blower 56 operated by an electric motor or other source of power 57, and in order to provide free access of the air under pressure into the header, the plate 49 is provided with an elongated slot 58 disposed in alignment with the blower 56. Although an independent blower has been illustrated for each of the headers 42 and 48, it is contemplated that a single blower could be provided which would accommodate both headers. Each of the pipes 46 is provided with a slot or series of openings 59 to permit the discharge of air therethrough to support combustion. The pipes 46 normally are staggered in relation to the pipes 41 to form an open grill work which will prevent most of the material from falling therethrough, and such pipes are adapted to support the waste material during the burning operation.

After the material has been reduced in size and volume by burning, the ash and other residue will fall between the staggered pipes 41 and 46 onto a floor 60. Periodically it is desired to remove particles of waste material which will not burn, such as metal cans and the like, and in order to do this the fluid cylinders 54 are operated to move the plates 49 along the tracks 50 until the pipes 46 are disposed generally below the pipes 41 to create a space wide enough to accommodate the unburned material and permit such material to fall through the openings onto the floor 60 after which the framework 47 is returned to its initial position with the pipes 41 and 46 in staggered relation to each other.

It is desirable to remove the ash, residue and other unburned material from the floor 60 while the burning operation continues, and in order to do this a baflle plate or sweep 62 is provided which extends entirely across the floor 60 of the incinerator 12 and such baflle plate is supported by guide plates 63 at opposite ends thereof. Each of the guide plates 63 is connected by pins 64 at opposite sides thereof to a clevis 65 carried at one end of a cable or chain 66 and such cables extend outwardly from both sides of the incinerator. The free ends of the cables are connected to winches or drums 67 mounted on shafts 68 at opposite sides of the incinerator and such shafts may be driven in any desired manner as by sprockets 69 mounted on at least one end thereof. Preferably the sprockets 69 are driven by chains 70 from a driving sprocket 71 connected by a clutch member 72 to a suitable source of power such as an electric motor 73. It is noted that a motor 73, clutch 72 and associated driving mechanism are located at each side of the housing 34 and can be operated independently to move the sweep 62 across the floor 60 from either side.

A discharge chute 74 is mounted at each side of the incinerator adjacent to the floor 60 and preferably such discharge chutes are at a high enough elevation that a truck or other vehicle 76 can be driven to a position beneath the same to directly receive ash or other residue from the incinerator. In order to discharge the material the baflle plate 62 normally is disposed within an opening 75 at each side of the incinerator and when the motor 73 on the opposite side is operated the baflle plate will be moved transversely across the floor 60 through the incinerator and will sweep the ash and other residue through the opening 75 on the opposite side of the incinerator and will discharge such ash and residue through the discharge chute 74 into the veicle 76 (FIG. 1). The ash and residue being discharged will be hot and may still be burning. It is desirable to cool the residue and extinguish any flame and this is done by providing a water header 84 above each opening 75. Each header 84 has a series of spray nozzles 85 spaced therealong adapted to spray water on the residue as it is discharged through the chute 74. Also, the vehicle 76 may have a series of openings (not shown) to drain excess water from the bed thereof. In order to protect the chains or cables 66, guide-forming shields 77 are provided along the inner surface of the fire brick 35 to form a channel for the reception of the cables.

The temperature within the incinerator may reach about 3000 F. and to take advantage of this heat, which normally is wasted to atmosphere through the smokestack 38, a plurality of pipes 80 are disposed in the upper portion of the incinerator 12. Water or other fluid is introduced into the pipes 80 through an inlet 81 and such water is converted to steam by the heated gases within the incinerator. The steam is discharged through an effluent line 82 and put to any desired use, such as operating auxiliary equipment not shown. Also the steam may be used to operate the various fluid cylinders, either directly or indirectly. If desired, a heat shield 83 can be located between the source of heat and the pipes 80.

Since the delivery building 10 and transfer apparatus are located substantially above the base of the incinerator 12, it is desirable to locate the system on a hillside or the like. It is contemplated, however, that when a hillside is not available, the conveyor 15 may be located on an inclined ramp structure (not shown) and the transfer apparatus may be supported by conventional trusses or the like.

In the operation of the device Waste material is collected by a collection vehicle 23 and discharged onto the endless conveyor 15 of the delivery building 10. During the passage through the delivery building the waste material is separated by vibration of the endless conveyor and is subsequently discharged into a chute 25. After the chute has been substantially filled the conveyor is stopped and the fluid cylinder 29 is operated to cause the piston 28 to engage the waste material and push such material into a closed lock-forming portion 27 after which the trapdoor 30 is opened .and the material is discharged into the incinerator 12. The waste material thus discharged will fall by gravity onto the grate 40 where it will be burned and the ash and other residue will fall between the pipes 41 and 46 of the grate onto the floor 60. Such ash and residue can be removed periodically by moving the baflle plate 62 from one side of the incinerator to the other side and in passing such baflle plate will engage the ash and will discharge the same through one of the discharge chutes 74 into a vehicle 76 for subsequent disposal thereof.

It will be obvious that a relatively simple incinerator system has been provided which will process and burn Waste material in a minimum of time and in substantially a continuous process.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An incinerator system comprising a delivery building, conveyor means within said building for receiving waste material and separating the same, chute means for receiving material from said conveyor means, a lock chamber in said chute means, means for removing material from said chute means and discharging the same through said lock chamber, an incinerator for receiving material from said lock chamber, said incinerator including a first series of hollow pipes extending entirely across the same, a series of spaced openings along the lower portion of each pipe, an air header connecting at least one end of each of said first series of pipes, means for introducing air under pressure into said air header, a second series of hollow pipes extending across said incinerator in spaced relation to said first series of pipes, a series of spaced openings along the lower portion of each of said second series of pipes, a second air header connecting at least one end of each of said second series of pipes, said second series of pipes being mounted on a slidable frame, means for slidably supporting said frame within said incinerator, means for selectively moving said frame to locate said second series of pipes in staggered relation to said first series of pipes or in generally vertical alignment therewith, a floor within said incinerator located below said second series of pipes, a baffle plate slidably supported adjacent to said floor, said incinerator having elongated openings in opposite sides thereof above said floor, means for moving said baffle plate from one side of said incinerator to the other for discharging ash and unburned residue through said elongated openings, and discharge chute means for discharging the ash and residue from said incinerator.

2. An incinerator system comprising conveyor means for receiving waste material and separating the same, 7

each of said first series of pipes having a series of spaced holes for discharging air to support combustion, a movable frame slidably mounted below said first series of pipes, a second series of pipes carried by said frame, a second air header connecting at least one end of each of said second series of pipes, means for introducing air under pressure into said second air header, means for selectively moving said frame to dispose said second series of pipes in staggered relation with said first series of pipes or in generally vertical alignment therewith, a battle plate slidably supported below said second series of pipes, and means for moving said baflle plate from one side of said incinerator to the other to discharge ash and unburned residue therefrom.

3. An incinerator for burning waste material comprising a base, a housing on said base, means for introducing waste material into said housing, a first series of elongated members extending across said housing to support said material for burning, a second series of elongated members extending across said housing in spaced relation to said first series of members, at least one of said series of members being hollow, air header means connecting said hollow members, means for introducing air under pressure into said air header means, each of said hollow members having a series of spaced holes for discharging air to support combustion, means for moving one of said series of members relative to the other series of members, and means for removing ash and unburned residue from said incinerator.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which said movable series of members is mounted on a frame, and said means for moving one of said series of members is disposed exteriorly of said housing and connected to said frame.

5. The structure of claim 3 in which said means for removing ash and residue includes a bafiie plate, flexible means connected to said plate and extending outwardly from opposite sides of said housing, winch means on opposite sides of said housing for receiving said flexible means, and means for selectively operating said winch means to move said baffle plate through said housing to remove ash and residue therefrom.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,33 8,694 5/ 1920 Peebles -74 1,459,870 6/1923 Anderson 11074 X 3,190,244 6/1965 Haskinson 110-18 JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN INCINERATOR SYSTEM COMPRISING A DELIVERY BUILDING, CONVEYOR MEANS WITHIN SAID BUILDING FOR RECEIVING WASTE MATERIAL AND SEPARATING THE SAME, CHUTE MEANS, FOR RECEIVING MATERIAL FROM SAID CONVEYOR MEANS, A LOCK CHAMBER IN SAID CHUTE MEANS, MEANS FOR REMOVING MATERIAL FROM SAID CHUTE MEANS AND DISCHARGING THE SAME THROUGH SAID LOCK CHAMBER, AN INCINERATOR FOR RECEIVING MATERIAL FROM SAID LOCK CHAMBER, SAID INCINERATOR INCLUDING A FIRST SERIES OF HOLLOW PIPES EXTENDING ENTIRELY ACROSS THE SAME, A SERIES OF SPACED OPENINGS ALONG THE LOWER PORTION OF EACH PIPE, AN AIR HEADER CONNECTING AT LEAST ONE END OF EACH OF SAID FIRST SERIES OF PIPES, MEANS FOR INTRO DUCING AIR UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID AIR HEADER, A SECOND SERIES OF HOLLOW PIPES EXTENDING ACROSS SAID INCINERATOR IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID FIRST SERIES OF PIPES, A SERIES OF SPACED OPENINGS ALONG THE LOWER PORTION OF EACH OF SAID SECOND SERIES OF PIPES, A SECOND AIR HEADER CONNECTING AT LEAST ONE END OF EACH OF SAID SECOND SERIES OF PIPES, SAID SECOND SERIES OF PIPES BEING MOUNTED ON A SLIDABLE FRAME, MEANS FOR SLIDABLY SUPPORTING SAID FRAME WITHIN SAID INCINERATOR, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY MOVING SAID FRAME TO LOCATE SAID SECOND SERIES OF PIPES IN STAGGERED RELATION TO SAID FIRST SERIES OF PIPES OR IN GENERALLY VERTICAL ALIGNMENT THEREWITH, A FLOOR WITHIN SAID INCINERATOR LOCATED BELOW SAID SECOND SERIES OF PIPES, A BAFFLE PLATE SLIDABLY SUPPORTED ADJACENT TO SAID FLOOR, SAID INCINERATOR HAVING ELONGATED OPENINGS IN OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF ABOVE SAID FLOOR, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BAFFLE PLATE FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID INCINERATOR TO THE OTHER FOR DISCHARGING ASH AND UNBURNED RESIDUE THROUGH SAID ELONGATED OPENINGS, AND DISHARGE CHUTE MEANS FOR DISCHARGING THE ASH AND RESIDUE FROM SAID INCINERATOR. 